Suction cleaner



Dec. 10, 1940.

D. G. vSMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER y Fw'uiled June 5,v 1937 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Smellle Donald 62 ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1940. n. G. sMELLlE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Juxe 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 4o sa l in@ /II vnu Q y y INVENToR olzald 61 Smelll'e ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. Smellie, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 5, 1937, Serial No. 146,579

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general, and more particularly to a new and improved suction cleaner construction in which the usual dust bag is not necessary. More specifically the invention comprises what is commonly known as a 'closed circuit suction cleaner.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new, improved closed circuit bagless suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a dirt receptacle into which the foreign matter will be thrown, and which is removable from the chassis of the suction cleaner by' lifting it vertically therefrom. A further object of the invention is to provide a dirt receptacle having a plurality of passages for the circulating air. Another object is to provide a suction cleaner chassis having a plurality of passages cast therein and communicating with the passages formed in the dirt receptacle to provide a closed circuit for the circulating air. A further object is to provide a new and improved closed circuit suction cleaner in which a filtered escape or leak is provided in air passagesin the chassis to remove the foreign matter from the air which escapes from the cleaner circuit upon being replaced by additional air from the exterior atmosphere. Another object is to provide a mechanical separator to remove' the suspended foreign matter from the cleaning air and discharge 'it into the dirt receptacle. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the cleaner shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;A

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section along the line 4--4 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is an elevation partly in section showing the dirt receptacle partially removed from the cleaner chassis and the cover partly,7 opened with respect to the dirt receptacle.

The embodiment of the'invention shown in the drawings comprises a chassis Iii, including a nozzle casing I I and is mounted on iront wheels I2 and rear casters I3 connected to a nozzle adjusting means i4 through the use of which the rear casters can be raised and lowered in order to vary the relation of the cleaner nozzle to the surface 9 undergoing cleaning. A handle l5 provided with a bail I6 is pivoted to the chassis at 22 and has a handle positioning lever il cooperating with a pin I8 on the chassis I0 to hold the handle in the desired positions. Removably secured to the top of the chassis I0 is a dirtJ receptacle provided with a cover 2l hereinafter described in detail.

Within the nozzle casing I I is the nozzle proper provided with surface contacting lips 2B and 21 which define the main nozzle mouth and which are spaced between front and rear lips 28 and 29 of the nozzle casingi I I to respectively define therebetween front and rear nozzles 30 and 3|. Nozzle 25 is interiorly connected by a passageway 3d extending centrally of the chassis I0 and terminating in an elongated slot in the top wall 36 of the chassis for communication l" with the dirt receptacle 20. A pair of channels or conduits 38 communicate with thefront and rear nozzles 30 and 3| and extend therefrom alongside the central passageway 34 and terminate in an annular chamber 4I] cornmunicating with the dirt receptacle 29. Each channel is provided with a plurality of apertures 4I in the bottom wall 42 of the chassis which are covered with a filter member i3 carried by a plate 44 pivoted to the bottom of the chassisat 45 and locked in position by a spring lock 46. The apertures 4I and filters 43 provide a filtered leak or escape for the air that has been replaced by additional air from the exterior atmosphere.

Mounted on the bottom wall d'2 of the chassis I0 by means of screws 49 is a motor housing 5G extending upwardly in the chamber d and through an aperture 5I in the upper chassis wall 35 into the dirt receptacle 20. The housing 5l) has a plurality of spaced openings 52 adjacent the motor brushes, and apertures 54 in the bottom housing plate `53 communicating with openings 55 provided in the lower chassis wall d2. These openings provide a path for air to pass through the housing to cool the motor 56.

Carried by the motor shaft is a suctioncreating fan 6I while immediately above the fan, and also carried by the shaft, is a dirt separator 62 through which the air must pass in response to the dirt created by the suction-creating fan SI. A frusto-conical plate 63 separates the suction fan from the separator and provides a central opening 64, which is in fact, the eye of the fan chamber 65, and through which the cleaningr 50 air may pass from the dust chamber 6B into the fan chamber 65. Plate 63 is providedV at its pe. riphery with an upwardly extending circular flange El which cooperates with a circular groove t8 in the surrounding edge of the dirt receptacle 55 by the suction-creating fan 6|.

20 to effectively prevent the leakage of air from the dirt container into the fan chamber 65.

The dirt receptacle 20 comprises a bottom wall 10 and vertical annularouter and inner walls 1| and 12 respectively, the latter being of greater height than the outer wall. 'Ihe cover 2| is dome-shaped and is hinged at 14 to the outer wall 1| and is provided with a gasket 15 to prevent the escape of ,dirt laden air. Suitable latch means 16 lock the cover 2| to the outer wall 1|. An elongated slot 18 is provided in the bottom wall 10 and is in register with the slot 35 in the chassis top wall 36. Disposed in chordal relation with the outer wall 1| is a baille plate 810 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 10 and terminating in an arcuate end 8| which projects above and inwardly of the inner wall 12. The baille plate 80, adjacent wall 1| and cover 2| dene a passage 83 communicating with the main nozzle passage 34, and the inner wall 12, bottom plate 10, outer wall 1| and baille plate 80 denne the annular dirt chamber 66. The inner wall 12 of the dirt receptacle cooperates with the motor housing 50 to define the fan chamber 65.

The chassis I0 is provided with an upwardly extending annular flange 85 which defines a recess 86 for the reception of the dust receptacle 28. In order to detachably secure the dirt receptacle 20 to the chassis I0, a hook 81 is pivoted to the outer receptacle wall 1|, and has a slot to receive a pin 88 supported in the flange 85. Each of the chassis apertures 35 and 5| is provided with a gasket 89 and 90 respectively to prevent leakage of air and to cushion the dirt receptacle in the chassis l0.

In the operation of the cleaner assume that the dirt receptacle 20 is secured to the chassis l0 and the motor is operating. Cleaning air is drawn into the nozzle proper 25, through the passageway 34 in the chassis l0 and through channel 83 in the dirt receptacle 2|] into the dirt container 66 in response to the suction created The air so drawn must rst pass through the separator 62 in gaining entrance to the eye 64 of the fan 6| and in passing through this member, the suspended foreign matter therein will be separated therefrom, in the usual and well-known manner, and will be thrown radially outward to the dirt chamber 66 to collect in the bottom thereof as indicated at 95. The action of the separator removes a large percentage of the foreign matter suspended in the air. The air after leaving the separator 62 enters the fan chamber 65 by Way of the fan 6| and is exhausted by the fan through the exhaust passages 38, 38 and into the front and rear nozzles 30 and 3| surrounding the main nozzle 25.

During the cleaning operation the surface covering 9 has been lifted by the suction within the nozzle proper 25 into contact with its lips 26 and 21, and the air in the front and rear nozzles 30 and 3| respectively enters the nozzle proper 25 under these lips. A certain amount of air from the outer atmosphere, however, will leak into the nozzle 25 under its end walls and, in most cases, through the floor covering undergoing cleaning, and will therefore increase the volume of air present within the cleaner unless a corresponding volume of air is displaced therefrom. Ihis volume of air is displaced by passing through the openings 4| in the exhaust passages 38, 38 to the outer atmosphere, having first passed through the filters 43 which remove substantially all of the remaining suspended foreign .matter therein. By this provision of means to accommodate the escape of the displaced air, there is no appreciable discharge into the room of finely divided and floating particleswhich would be inhaled by and objectionable to the operator. Furthermore the displaced air is discharged downwardly from the cleaner adjacent the nozzle and any discharged dust particles will be immediately drawn into ythe nozzle again and removed from the exterior atmosphere. When it is necessary, each .filter 443 maybe replaced by manipulating the latch 46 after which it is a simple matter to remove the lter.

Part of the air passes through the motor housing apertures 52 to cool the motor 56 and is then discharged through the openings 54 and 55.y If desired, the apertures 52 may be provided with lters.

In order to empty the dirt receptacle I 0 it is necessary to merely unhook the clamp 81 and lift the container vertically upwardly from the machine, whereby the container can be carried to a suitable emptying place. The cover 2| is then opened and the dirt emptied from the chamber 66 by inverting the dirt receptacle. To replace the container 20 it is seated in the chassis recess 86, whereby the inner wall 12 will be concentricwwith the motor housing 50 and cooperate therewith to form the fan chamber 65 in register with the annular chamber 40, and the passage 83, between the bale plate 80 and the outer wall 1|, is in register with the main nozzle passage 34.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaner, comprising a chassis having a nozzle, means in;` said` chassis defining an inlet passageway communicating with said nozzle, a motor mounted on said chassis, dirt separating means operated by said motor, a casing removably mounted on said chassis, said casing having a re-entrant chamber for enclosing said motor, said casing being removable from said chassis by longitudinal movement with respect to said motor, means in said casing denin'g a suction passageway communicating with said inlet passageway, and means in said casing dening a dirt chamber for the reception 4of dirt discharged by said separating means.

2. A suction cleaner, comprising a Chassis havi-ng a nozzle for contacting the surface to be cleaned, means in said chassis defining an inlet passageway communicating with said nozzle, a motor mounted on said chassis, dirt separating means operated by said motor, a casing removably mounted on said chassis and embracing said motor, means in said casing deining a suction passageway communicating with said inlet passageway, a cover pivotally mounted on said casing and extending to said separating means and cooperating with said suction passageway means to convey dirt-laden air to said dirt-separating means, and means in said casing dening a dirt chamber for the reception of' dirt discharged by said separator means.

l3. A suction cleaner, comprising a chassis having a nozzle for contacting the surface to be cleaned, means in said chassis dening an inlet passageway communicating with said nozzle, a motor mounted on said chassis, dirt separating means operated by said motor, a casing removably mounted on said chassis and embracing said motor, said casing having means dening a suction passageway for conveying dirt-laden air from said inlet passageway to said separator means, and means in said casing to define a dirt Isaid passages communicating with said chamber for the reception of dirt discharged by said lseparator means, said casing being arranged around said motor for removal from Said casing by longitudinal movement with respect to said motor.

4. A suction cleaner comprising a casing having a nozzle and an air passage communicating with said nozzle, a motor-driven dirt-separating unit mounted on said casing, a dirt receptacle surrounding said dirt-separating unit and forming a downwardly opening discharge passage for the air delivered from said dirt-separating unit, and a cover tting over said dirt receptacle and forming a chamber for the separating unit and communicating with said nozzle through said firstmentioned air passage.

5. A suction cleaner comprising a casing having a nozzleand separate air passages communicating with said nozzle, a motor-driven fan and dirt-separating unit mounted on said casing and surmounted by a dirt-separating member, an annular dirt receptacle surrounding said unit to form a fan chamber connected at its lower end with one of said passages communicating with .said nozzle, and a cover extending over said dirt receptacle and forming a chamber for said dirtseparating member connected with the other of nozzle.

6. A suction cleaner comprising a casing having a nozzle and an air pasage communicating with said nozzle, a motor-driven fan and dirtseparatingunit mounted vertically upon said casing with said dirt-separating member above said fan, an annular dirt receptacle surrounding said unit with its innermost wall forming a ian chamber having an inlet opening at its upper end an a discharge outlet at its lower end, and a removable cover extending over said dirt receptacle and forming a chamber for said dirt-separating member and a passage communicating with said first-mentioned passage.

` '7.` A suction cleaner comprising a casing having a nozzle and an air inlet passage communicating with said nozzle, a motor and fan unit mounted-onsaid casing, a dirt-separating member mounted at the upper end of said unit, a dirt receptacle removably supported upon said chassis having an inner annular wall surrounding said motor and fan unit to form a fan chamber and an outlet passage therefrom, and a cover for said receptacle enclosing said dirt-separating member and communicating with said inlet passage.

DONALD G. SMELLIE. 

